St. Louis Deep State Strikes Again

(Judge Virginia Lay of St. Louis County)

 

Melissa Hagemeir hasn't seen two of her children since November 2020, and no one can explain why. 

Thomas has been stuck in St. Louis County family court since 2019, but things took a turn for the worse when her ex-husband hired a new attorney, Ryan Munro.

("severe alienation")

Munro, Hagemeier told me, is a well-known father's right's attorney; he seems to know the father's rights playbook well. 

He quickly filed a motion arguing among other things, "severe alienation" a roundabout way of saying that mom was engaging in parental alienation. 

The court and all its actors quickly followed suit. 

That TRO was filed on November 3, 2020, and the next day law enforcement were at Hagemeier's door demanding her two children with her ex-husband be handed to them immediately. 

The police even threatened to take Hagemeier to jail if the children did not go willingly.

If that sounds familiar, that was the same playbook employed by the now notorious Judge Nicole Zellweger. She threatened, Angela Freiner, the mother of a fourteen year old who begged not be sent to her father: because the fourteen year old said, he was molesting her.

As with Hagemeier, Freiner was also accused of parental alienation. 

The TRO was requested with the Guardian Ad Litem, Molly Murphy, recommending that children and mother be separated. The TRO was granted by the judge, Virginia Lay. 

(More from the TRO)

In the TRO, it states, "The Guardian ad Litem and the Court finds that the children will suffer immediate and  irreparable harm as set forth in the Application in the absence of the Temporary Restraining Order."

Murphy made this determination despite meeting with mom for one home visit for an hour, and Melissa said she was barred from attending any hearings in which Judge Lay presided, so both these court actors determined that children must be moved immediately and without a hearing and without giving Melissa a chance to respond to the allegations. 

(More from the TRO)

Neither Lay nor Murphy responded to messages for comment and Mr. Munro did not respond to a message at his office. 

The TRO barred any contact between mother and these children from her relationship with her ex; Hagemeier has other younger children with her current husband and no one seems to claim she is unfit to take care of them. 

As with St. Louis County cases, the father who the court seems to think is the victim is apparently quite abusive. 

The St. Louis courts were not done abusing Melissa. 

On top of having the unqualified Ms. Murphy diagnose her with parental alienation, Judge Lay saw to it to also appoint Dr. Anne Duncan Hively. In early March 2021, days after I reached out to folks for comment on this story, Dr. Hively arranged a phone call between mother and daughter. 

Within a week of being in his custody, disclosures were made, police were called and on November 17, 2020, the children were removed from Hagemeier's ex and placed in social services custody. 

According to the police report, there was good reason for this placement. Here is part of the report. 

On November 17, 2020, I, CDW Kelly Ploesser was assigned an Investigation with allegations that {Hagemeier's daughter} is saying that she was raped by dad, {dad}, and he was drunk when it happened.  Further, that (on 11/13/20) {dad} received a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) which gives him custody of {daughter} and twin brother.  I subsequently learned this is full custody to Matthew and no custody or contact by Melissa, mom, who has been the primary custodian.

Unwilling to accept defeat, Judge Lay sprung into action. Because this incident occurred in a separate county, Judge Lay used a legal technicality to demand this new investigation be closed, that the matter be returned to her courtroom, and she quickly reversed the decision of social services and handed the two children back to their father: who, as the police report clearly states, is being accused of sexual molestation by his daughter. 

If this sounds familiar, it appears that this is a pattern in St. Louis County where they cater not merely to abusers, but to child molesters. 

 

 Dr. Hively doesn't think that separating mother and daughter is the problem, instead, she thinks the problem is mom's reaction to the forced separation. 

"Melissa, you're being quite clear about your anger at the system was hard on her." Dr. Hively said, "What I'm saying is it was hard on her. Your anger at the system."

Get that. Being placed with the man who the child says is molesting her; that's not hard on the child. Being ripped away from her mother; that's not hard on her. What's hard on the child is her mother's anger at the system. 

Also, Dr. Hively often testifies as an expert for the defense in cases of sexual and other abuse so I'm sure she'll be very unbiased in this case. 

Even though the temporary restraining order has since expired, besides this phone call, there has been no other contact between mother and children. 

Finally, Dr. Hively, for reasons which are unclear, is not treating Melissa's son, only her daughter: the one alleging abuse.